Research

StLouis

September 1, 1995

Weed Killers By The Glass: StLouis

Weed Killers by the Glass

St. Louis, Missouri

Citizen Monitoring Results

St. Louis drinking water is contaminated with cancer causing weed killers at levels that have exceeded federal standards for at least one herbicide. Tests of city tap water found six different pesticides or metabolites in a single sample. The most common pesticide contaminant is atrazine, which was found in every tap water sample tested between May 15 and July 1, 1995. Cyanazine was also found in 100 percent of these same samples. During this test period approximately 2,900 infants in St. Louis consumed infant formula reconstituted with water contaminated with six toxic weed killers. (Note 1: Ershow, Abby G., and Cantor, Kenneth P. 1989. Total Water and Tapwater Intake in the United States: Population-Based Estimates of Quantities and Sources. Life Sciences Research Office; Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Bethesda, MD)

Most of these weed killers are used in corn production. Since 1985, taxpayers have subsidized Missouri corn growers at a rate of $98 million per year, for a ten year total of $980 million. Farmers in turn pay nothing to clean up the water. The pesticide industry claims that farmers' weed control cost would double if these polluting herbicides were banned. Assuming the industry claim is true, the added costs to farmers would amount to just 11 percent of the value of the subsidy taxpayers pay to these corn farmers each year.

Atrazine

Causes mammary gland cancer in female rats in repeated studies.(Note 2: Copley, Marion. 1989. Follow-up to the Third Peer Review of Atrazine. EPA. Washington, D.C.; International Agency for Research on Cancer. 1991. World Health Organization. IARC Monographs on the Evolution of Cancer Risk to Humans. Vol. 53.) Classified by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen. Federal health standard in drinking water -- 3 parts per billion (ppb), European Drinking Water Standard -- 0.1 ppb.

Tests for Multiple Weed Killers

Six pesticides or metabolites -- atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, alachlor, acetochlor, and desethylatrazine -- were found in a single sample of St. Louis tap water collected on June 24, 1995.

These six pesticides or metabolites include two pesticides classified by EPA as probable human carcinogens, three pesticides classified as possible human carcinogens, one pesticide that causes birth defects in animal studies, and three pesticides that disrupt the normal functioning of the hormone system.

Federal drinking water standards do not account for this simultaneous exposure to multiple pesticides (or other contaminants) in drinking water, and allow cancer risks from these weed killers up to 29 times higher than the federal government allows from the same chemicals in food.

Use of 6 Major Herbicides on Missouri Corn Reached 6.1 Million Pounds in 1994, up One Million Pounds Since 1990